Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, a member of Pope Francis' advisory Council of Cardinals, speaks during a press conference.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis accepted a proposal to set up a
special commission on the sexual abuse of children, which will advise
him on ways to prevent abuse and provide pastoral care for victims and
their families.

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, a member of the pope's advisory
Council of Cardinals, announced the decision at a Vatican briefing for
reporters Dec. 5, during a break in the council's meetings with the
pope.

The cardinal said the new commission would continue the work of Pope
Benedict XVI against clerical sex abuse, and that among its tasks would
be to "study the present programs in place for the protection of
children, and to come up with suggestions for new initiatives" by the
Vatican, in collaboration with national bishops' conferences and
religious orders around the world.

According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi,
Pope Francis heard the proposal on the afternoon of Dec. 4, during the
second of three days of meetings with his 8-member Council of Cardinals,
and announced his decision to the council the following morning.

The council, which the pope formally established in September to advise
him on church governance and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, was
holding its second round of meetings, following an initial three-day
session in October.

Cardinal O'Malley said the new sex abuse commission would be of
international composition, consisting perhaps of 12 members, including
lay people, members of religious orders and priests. The members will be
persons with "competence in the safety of children, relations with
victims, mental health, law enforcement" and other relevant subjects, he
said.

The new body will not take over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith's authority for disciplining abusive priests, and local bishops
will remain responsible for the safety of children in their dioceses,
the cardinal said; but the "Holy See will try to be helpful and help to
identify best practices."

The cardinal said he did not know whether the commission would play any
role in disciplining bishops who fail to prevent or punish sex abuse by
those under their authority.

In 2011, the Vatican instructed the world's bishops' conferences to
establish formal guidelines on dealing with clerical sex abuse, but
reported in February 2013 that about a quarter had failed to comply.

Asked whether the new commission was intended to fill a particular gap
in the church's response to the problem, Cardinal O'Malley said the
Vatican's focus so far had been on legal procedures, and that the new
body would represent a more pastoral approach.

The cardinal said the commission would study a number of areas,
including programs to educate pastoral workers in signs of abuse,
psychological testing and other ways of screening candidates for the
priesthood, and the church's "cooperation with the civil authorities,
the reporting of crimes."

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., called the pope's
decision to establish the commission "a most welcome initiative."

"Abuse of minors is a sin and a crime, and every step must be taken to
eradicate this blight. Such abuse is especially grave when committed by
anyone in ministry in our church," the archbishop said in a statement
released in Washington. He is president of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops.

"The problem of sexual abuse of minors exists throughout society and
every effort must be made to protect children, particularly within the
church," he added.

The commission represents a needed international, broad-based approach
to address "this horrific problem," said Archbishop Kurtz, pledging the
"full cooperation" of the U.S. bishops' with its work.

"In the United States, we have learned of the importance of background
checks, education of children and adults on child safety, the swift
removal of offenders, and the need for the church and civil authorities
to work together," he added. "While these efforts have resulted in a
dramatic reduction, much work remains to be done."